


Random Fate

by Deathista



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 01:24:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13156218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deathista/pseuds/Deathista
Summary: As a former member of the Ghost Legion, Hollow will need to confront both his past and his future. His entire world changed when he stumbled across a handsome former Bounty Hunter on Tatooine.





	Random Fate

He could see the man struggling as he lay halfway under the speeder. Aratech Blur, He used to have one of those back at the base. It was pretty much the only thing he regretted leaving behind. Walking over, Hollow dropped his bag, lifting the offending panel out of the way.

“Hey, thanks.” His easy smile seemed far too cheerful for the sweaty desert heat.

“No problem.” Hollow muttered, expecting the usual reaction to his voice. The mechanical growl he had been left with usually startled people, made them nervous. 

“Name’s Zim.” Sliding out from under the machine, he rolled to his feet, slapping Hollow on the shoulder. “I do believe I owe you a drink for that, I’ve been trying to get that fixed for over an hour.”

“You might consider replacing the stabilizers with ones off a scythe. Have to shave them down a bit, but it’s a better ride.” Hollow closed his eyes for a moment. What was he doing? 

“C'mon, you don’t seem to be in that much of a hurry.” 

Zim’s brown eyes sparkled as he brushed dust off of his jacket. Hollow’s breath caught in his chest as he met the man’s gaze. “Alright,” he heard himself saying as Zim grinned and motioned him towards the cantina.

\-----

“So, what’s a guy like you doing in a sand pit like this?” Zim grinned, taking a sip of his drink.

Hollow nearly choked on his shot as he examined Zim’s face, There was no mockery or malice in his expression, simply an open curiosity. “Supplies run.” 

“Now I’m intrigued, what kind of supplies could you be buying in this wasteland? No, wait, let me guess, and if I guess correctly, dinner is on you.”

Hollow found a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, even as he raised an eyebrow. “Alright.”

“Hmmm.” Zim’s gaze wandered over him as his face set in concentration. “Military grade implants, but not current issue. No obvious tattoos or imperial accent, not current military. Well worn blasters, equipment in perfect condition. You are cautious, look at the way you took the seat with the best visibility in the place. You’re a bounty hunter stocking up on armaments at Vintrilla’s.”

“I guess I am taking you out to dinner.” Hollow mused, examining the man closely.

“I could go on, but I think that will wait until dinner. Believe it or not there is a nice restaurant in this dust bowl.”

“What do you do?” Hollow asked, curiosity driving him to speak.

“I have a business finding and re-uniting people,” Zim grinned, straightening his shirt.

“You were a bounty hunter.”

“You got it.” Zim’s warm laugh was infectious, and somehow Hollow chuckled despite himself.

\---

Hollow stared at the crowd as his instincts kicked in. Two exits. One door to the the service area and presumably the kitchen. Thin walls, A3 charge. Fifty civilians, maybe ten in the back. Shaking his head, he pinched the bridge of his nose and went back to scanning the doorway for Zim.

“Would you like a drink while you are waiting?” The friendly waitress who stopped was obviously avoiding looking at him. It wasn't surprising. Waving her away, he put his gloved fingers up to the implant that lined the right side of his jaw. Some people would say he should be glad to be alive, he had never really felt that way.

What was he doing here? He had a bounty to collect, sitting in carbonite on his ship. Somehow he was standing there in the best clothes he owned, having to force himself to stillness as he looked for that smile. 

Hollow felt his body relax before it even registered to him that Zim had appeared. He was almost shocked at the transformation. His dusty working attire had been replaced with a stylish gray suit. His hair nearly glowed in the subdued lighting. The breath caught in his throat, and only the oxygen alert from his implant startled him into breathing again. 

“Hey, hope you weren’t waiting long.” Zim’s cheerful voice was accompanied by a smile.

“Not long.” Hollow felt an answering smile on his face. What the kriff was he doing?

\----

Zim toyed with the stem of his wine glass, smiling thoughtfully as Hollow felt his eyes wander over him.

“So, did you want to know what else I can tell about you just by looking at you?” 

“Will I owe you breakfast for it?” Hollow finished off his pasta and scanned the room before resting his gaze back on Zim.

Zim chuckled and ordered a refill. “How about your holo-codes?” The mischievous smile on his face seemed full of confidence.

“Alright.” Hollow shrugged, it wasn't like he wouldn't have given them to the man anyway. Not that he was exactly sure why he would...

“You’re single, you were a soldier at one point, but not Imperial military. Some sort of special forces.” Zim took another drink, reaching down to dig around in his pocket. “You’re also a skilled mechanic and came from house Organa on Alderaan.”

Hollow froze in his seat for a moment before throwing back most of his drink. Zim was good. Too good. While he had no idea about the Organa comment, the rest was too close for comfort. Wordlessly accepting Zim’s holo, he punched in his personal codes. 

“I should get back to the ship, have some repairs to do before I lift off tomorrow.” Hollow grunted, lifting his bag and shoving his trench coat back into position as he stood.

“Allow me to assist you. I am no slouch around a ship, and you helped me out, after all.” Zim placed a hand on his arm.

Staring at the hand on his coat, Hollow looked up into Zim’s eyes. There was no way the man could miss the hard metal of his arm under the coat. There was no revulsion in his gaze, not even the slightest sign that he noticed the difference. He was already getting too close to dangerous topics, and they had barely spent a few hours together. This wasn’t a good idea for either of them.

“Alright, thanks.” Hollow extended his cybernetic hand, assisting Zim up off of his chair. He tried to ignore the way his heart was racing as they walked out the door.

\---

“Where did you get this?” Zim breathed, his hands running over the smooth panels and lines of the ship in near reverence.

“Stole it.” Hollow grunted, lifting a crate of parts from his speeder to set them inside the bay.

“This isn’t a standard model, look at those lines. This has to be a prototype.” The look on Zim’s face bordered on lust as he walked inside.

“It’s a good ship, just a lot of work” Hollow knelt to open the crates, trying hard not to think about the ripped pants and tight shirt Zim had changed into in order to come help.

“I bet, it must have been a lifetime opportunity to get your hands on something like this.”

“Just have to know where to look.” Hollow scraped the packing foam out of the way, looking for the first set of power converters. 

“You really are a mysterious stranger, aren’t you.” The sensuous chuckle that fell from his lips sent a shiver down Hollow’s spine.

“Well, we’ve had drinks, and dinner. Are we strangers?” Looking for the secondary set, Hollow pulled his trench and vest off before digging back into the box.

“Well, maybe if you told me your name, I could be talked into using it.” Zim grinned as he started unpacking and organizing the second crate.

He froze, feeling a jolt as he looked up at his guest. “Apologies, you can call me Hollow.”

“Still mysterious then, but I guess I can let the stranger slide.” 

Hollow chuckled as he handed Zim a converter set, casually running a finger down his arm. “This way.”

\---

“That is just incredible.” Zim’s voice came from behind the panel Hollow was holding. 

“What?” Setting the heavy sheet of metal back into place, Hollow grimaced at the rip in his shirt and the cut on his chest. 

“How can you lift that much? I mean, even with your obvious enhancements, that should take at least two people or a droid.” 

Hollow turned to face the man, reaching a quick decision as he met Zim’s deep brown eyes. He braced himself as he removed his shirt, displaying the silver web of scarring across his arm and torso. The deep black metal of his cybernetic arm was highlighted with a few scuffs and scrapes. Pulling up his datapad, he started to retrieve his schematics. 

“Kriff, you’re bleeding.” Zim walked over to examine the cut, pushing his arm out of the way. “Where’s your medbay?”

“It’s nothing.” Hollow shrugged, trying not to dwell on how close Zim was. He smelled like something exotic. 

“Nope we’re patching you up now. C’mon big guy.”

Hollow lead the way further into the ship. He had the feeling his choices were about to be between making Zim leave, or answering some uncomfortable questions. Stealing a glance back at the man’s slightly worried face, he couldn't lie to himself, he was going to answer the questions.

“Who did you steal this ship from, Imperial Intelligence?” 

“Yes.” The shock on Zim’s face would have been comical if he wasn’t so accurate. The medbay was designed to serve as cybernetics repair for a team of agents. It was pretty much the only reason he was still alive. He could almost see the thoughts flicker across the man’s expressive face as the pieces clicked.

“You were with Intelligence.” The broad smile on his face was not the reaction Hollow had expected.

“Sort of. That doesn't bother you?” Pulling a Kolto pack out of a drawer, he flicked on the medbay screen with his implant.

“Why, should It?” An eyebrow arched as he pulled the pack from Hollow’s fingers and applied it to the cut.

A quick signal pulled his schematics up on the screen. He watched the surprise light Zim’s eyes as he traced out the tangle of implants that ran throughout his body. Hollow ached as he felt the warm fingers against his flesh, but he had to be honest. “I’m a dangerous person to know. I have done horrible things that I can never atone for.”

A hand pressed against the side of his face, gently urging him to meet Zim’s gaze. “Do you do horrible things now?”

“No.” 

“I guess It’s a good thing that I like dangerous men.” 

Hollow’s hands clamped onto the table behind him as Zim’s fingers traced down his neck. “Surely, someone like you must have someone,” he nearly panted, his control almost in tatters.

Zim leaned over and whispered in his ear. “I’m close to a few people, but that doesn't mean I don’t want to be close to you.” 

“You don’t know me.” Hollow gasped as Zim’s lips found his neck.

“Then let’s fix that, shall we?” Zim smiled as Hollow pulled him into his arms.

\---

The cantina in Kass city was just as seedy as Hollow remembered it. He’d avoided it for years. The proximity to Sith Intelligence wasn’t nearly the risk that it had been before Imperial Intelligence had been disbanded. The Legion was still out there, still active, but he hadn’t seen them in over a year. Lethe had been as good as his word when he had wiped him from the system.

Pulling his bag to a more comfortable position on his shoulder, Hollow didn’t feel the need to assess the building. There wasn’t an area of this city he couldn't destroy if it was needed, up to and including Intelligence headquarters. That thought used to bring him as close as he got to peace, now it disturbed him for some reason. 

He spotted the familiar brown hair and easy smile the moment Zim walked through the door. Pushing himself away from the wall, he walked over, pulse racing. They had spent an amazing night together before he had been forced to leave and turn in the slaver he had captured in for execution. He honestly hadn’t expected to be contacted again, much less within days.

“Hello handsome.” Zim’s hand on his arm was both familiar and casual, as though it belonged there. Covering it with his own, Hollow lead him to his usual table. He had scouted it out earlier, and a quick scan with his implant conformed that nothing had changed since he had gone to stand by the door.

“It’s good to see you.” Hollow smiled tentatively, placing an order for drinks.

“Likewise.” Zim’s smile grew as he pulled Hollow in for a kiss. “How is the bounty hunting going?” 

“One slaver turned in for dealing in children.” Hollow’s voice was satisfied as he remembered the terror in the man’s eyes.

“That isn’t exactly illegal in the Empire.” Zim’s approving smile belied his words.

“I take jobs from a lot of people.” Hollow commented, his fingers stroking Zim’s arm almost without his direction.

“That is exactly what I wanted to hear.” Zim ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes sparkling. “I have a proposition for you.”

“I would entertain any proposition you care to give me.” Hollow tried to stifle the wave of lust that flowed through him as he remembered the feeling of Zim’s body against his.

Zim bit his lip a moment before composing his expression. “Let’s start with business. I’ve been working a series of cold cases that seem like they might have a connection with your former occupation. I want to hire you to help me solve them.”

“I was in a rather... specialized area.” Hollow felt a chill run through him as he automatically surveyed the room 

“Even so, your skills as a bounty hunter alone would be valuable, and to be honest, I could use the help.” Zim looked down at the table, strain clouding his normally cheerful expression.

An unfamiliar ache filled Hollow’s chest as he ran his fingers down Zim’s face. “Tell me what you need.”

Zim pulled up his datapad, activating the holo-projector. The visage that displayed was all too familiar to him. Hollow quickly slammed his hand over the emitter. He felt sick as the face burned into his mind. Zim couldn’t know. He wouldn't have asked him so casually if he had known. 

“Is something wrong?” Zim gently switched off the device before capturing Hollow’s face in his hands.

“Not here. Do you trust me?” Hollow searched Zim’s eyes, relieved at his nod. “I will help you, but I need you to take a trip with me.”

Zim’s fingers ran through his hair, sending a thrill through his body. “Business and pleasure. I like it.”

Hollow ran a thumb over Zim’s cheek. He hoped Zim still felt that way after what he had to tell him.

\---

“You seriously have a Morlinger Phantom in here.” Zim reached out to run his fingers over the black finish. 

“Good for where we are headed. Time to gear up for the cold.” Hollow ran a diagnostic on the speeder. Hoth was the last place he wanted to get stranded.

“Not so fast, I have to get a holo of you up against this gorgeous piece of machinery before you’re covered in five layers of clothes.” Zim grinned, pushing his bare chest until his back hit the chill of the metal. 

“Don’t you want me to put a shirt on?” Hollow looked at him in amusement as he pulled out his datapad.

“Nope, in fact...” He walked up and sank his fingers into the waistband of Hollow’s pants before undoing the button and tugging them lower on his hips. Running a caressing hand along his abs, Zim walked back across the room with an approving look. “Lean back slightly, there. Perfect.”

Hollow smiled, almost forgetting the anxiety that gnawed at him. The cold weather gear he pulled from the closet was standard issue intelligence gear, not exactly the best for Hoth, but between that and his implants, he would be fine. 

As he pulled the rest of his Hoth appropriate weapons out of storage, he looked up to find Zim leaning against the wall. The man was fast. He felt a pang of disappointment to see the athletic figure covered by the stylish coat, but couldn't help but approve of how well prepared he was. “You’ve been here before."

“I was here hunting pirates with Blakk. It’s been awhile, but not the sort of place you forget.” 

Pushing the last of the emergency gear in the speeder, he grabbed Zim’s hand, pressing a flat black device into his palm. Pulling up his datapad, he mapped out the location, reaching in to place it on the dash.

“What’s this?” Zim asked, his eyebrow raised as he stared at Hollow expectantly.

Hollow ran his fingers down his lover’s face and kissed him. “Keys. You’re driving.” 

“Where exactly have you been all my life?” Zim’s voice was soft as he caressed Hollow’s palm.

Hollow closed his eyes a moment and pulled Zim into his arms, his heart aching as tears stung his eyes a moment. “I wish I could tell you, but I will give you everything I can when we get to our destination.” 

“Seriously?” Zim looked shocked.

“I will answer every question, though you may not like the answers.” Hollow looked away as he moved to climb in the speeder.

“Hey. Don’t think you are getting away from me that easily.” Zim’s warm smile nearly melted him. “I've been waiting for a guy like you.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Hollow studied Zim’s profile as they moved out into the ice.

\---

The door shrieked as Hollow shoved the frozen metal backward, using touch to work his way down the wall. There. It took nearly all of his strength to pull the lever that sent the generators roaring to life.

“I would never have guessed... Kriff,” Zim breathed as he stared into the hangar. Three X 70 prototypes lay unused in the bay, one half-assembled. There were gaps on it where Hollow had scavenged panels and parts for his own ship. 

Moving the speeder into the bay with his implant, he slammed the door back shut behind them, cutting off the howling shriek of the wind. He turned to face his lover, following Zim’s gaze to where a giant skeletal hand had been cut into the stone of the wall.

Hollow took Zim’s gloved hand in his own and swallowed, trying to find the courage to speak. He instead pulled him gently down a maze of corridors into a large room with various jars and containers scattered along the walls. A simple command powered on the holoprojectors he had arranged. It wasn’t pretty, but it had been the best memorial he could manage. Only half of the projections had physical remains at all. 

Zim’s face paled as he pulled up his holo, displaying a series of images, several of which matched the faces displayed around the room. When his gaze finally rested on Hollow’s face once again, there was no judgement, no condemnation in his eyes.

“Ghost Legion. Take the nearly dead, save their lives with advanced cyborg technology. Wipe their personality, their minds, everything except their skillset. Use restraints to control them with a keyword. Disposable troops to spread terror and fear without using the military.” He could see the emotions flicker across Zim’s face through the shock.

“Disposable?” He finally choked out, a horrified expression on his features. 

“When one soldier can take out many high value targets, it isn’t that big of a loss to them. Besides, the effect of the terror they spread is useful for keeping overall costs down.” Hollow felt the rage and bitterness creeping into his voice and looked down. “None of the people here had a choice. None of them were who they originally had been. I brought as many of them back as I could. I kept the damage that I could down, saved a few lives here and there, but I have killed hundreds of thousands.”

“You were one of them.” Zim’s voice was shaky as he pulled Hollow into his arms.

“I still would be if it hadn’t been for the help of some friends. Or more likely dead. Hardly anyone lasted long.” His lover’s arms tightened around him to the point where a sensor went off. “Hey, I may be mostly metal, but I still need to breathe.” Hollow took off his gloves and ran his fingers through Zim’s hair.

“They’re still out there?” Zim asked, reluctantly loosening his hold.

“Probably a few teams, but not many. When the Sith disbanded intelligence, they had little use for the program. They have their own brand of terror.” Hollow sighed as he ran his hands down Zim’s coat. “I wish I had more to give you. The people you got the contracts for must have not have been former Imperial Military or Intelligence. Otherwise their emergency contact would have gotten a data stick with some heavily sanitized information.”

“You mean Intelligence kept records on what happened to these people?”

“Yeah, the brass in charge of it figured out it helped the casualty rate if we knew that the data existed somewhere. Fewer suicides.” Hollow traced Zim’s cheek and started to pull him away from the room. 

Zim stopped him in the hallway, pulling his face close to stare into his eyes. “This can’t have been easy for you. You could have said nothing. You could have just told me they were dead, made up some story. Why would you put yourself through all this?” 

Hollow stared into Zim’s deep brown eyes, helpless to stop the wave of emotion that rushed through him. Kissing Zim deeply, he tried to put everything he couldn't say into the way he held the man, the need he had that defied explanation. The way he felt like he wanted to live for the first time since he had awakened on the medtable. Finally pulling back, Hollow smiled. “That.”

\---

The head on his chest and the warmth of the body half-laying on him filled Hollow with contentment as he opened his eyes. Even the stone and metal walls of the base didn’t bother him as he stroked Zim’s hair with his fingers. 

“Good morning handsome.” Zim’s sleepy voice made him smile as he felt a kiss on his skin.

“Good morning.” Pressing a kiss to the top of Zim’s hair, he sighed happily as he held the man close. “You want to get out of here today?”

“Actually I was hoping to explore this base a bit first, see if I could find out any further info for the families if it wouldn’t be to hard on you.” Zim sounded hopeful as his fingers ran down Hollow’s arm. 

“Whatever you want.” Hollow shrugged, stretching. “As I said on the ship, I will answer any questions you have.”

“Anything?” Zim smiled softly, his eyes lighting up.

“Sure.”

“The bag that you carry with you all the time, what’s in it?” Zim’s eyes were drawn to the offending leather backpack that sat next to the bed.

“Explosives, bioweapons, tools, and slicing gear.” 

“You’re serious.” Zim stared into his eyes expectantly.

“Yes, I’m serious, take a careful look if you want. I was a demolitions and Sabotage specialist.” 

Zim shuddered slightly. “Do you really need to carry that around with you as a bounty hunter?”

Hollow paused thoughtfully. They were his tools, part of his skill set that was as natural to him as breathing. “I could pare it down a bit, get rid of the bio-weapons and a good portion of my explosives. At least while I have a handsome man around to watch my back.”

“I suppose I could be convinced to stick around awhile for such a noble cause.” Zim’s lips smiled against his as he pressed Hollow against the bed.

\---

Zim’s sigh of frustration echoed through the empty mess hall, his hands wrapped around a warm drink. “Leave it to Intelligence to have a built in auto destruct on their data.”

“Sorry, I barely managed to save the base itself.” Hollow shrugged, staring at the black metal fingers that wrapped around his cup. 

“How did you manage to get this place?” Zim laid his head on Hollow’s shoulder a moment before taking another sip.

“I happened to be on Hoth when Imperial Intelligence was disbanded. I rushed out here and rewired the self destruct, then sliced the Legion’s satellite to confirm the destruction.” 

“You could have been killed.” Zim squeezed his waist with his arm.

“It was an acceptable risk at the time.” 

“You have a strange idea of acceptable risks, handsome.” Zim sighed.

“I think my outlook on that just might be changing.” He kissed Zim’s neck before taking his free hand. “However, speaking of risks, in all seriousness, if you want the data on Whisper and Echo, I may have a way to get it for you.”

“Tell me it doesn't involve risking your life?” Zim raised an eyebrow.

“Everything involving the Legion is a risk, however I have something they want I’ve had saved in case I ever needed to negotiate with the old team again.” Pulling his bag over, he dug around in the front pocket, pulling out a palm-sized pyramid shaped device. “This is the reason they can’t find me. It can completely dissolve the imperial tracking beacon without damaging the flesh around it.”

“But the data in the base was destroyed, would there be backups?” 

“Lethe kept everyone’s data caches on him. If he’s still around, I can negotiate with him. He’s a cold bastard, but he keeps his word and has a tiny shred of decency.” Hollow flipped the device, giving Zim a smile.

“Everyone’s? Even yours?” Zim squeezed his arm, a thoughtful look on his face.

“Even mine. I left it behind on purpose though. Whoever the man was that ended up in that medbay is dead.” Hollow stared into nothing. “I needed to be able to do what little I could to make up for what I was. What if he wasn’t the type of person to do that? What if he was more of a monster than I was? Better he stay dead.” 

“Look at me.” Zim took his chin in his fingers, capturing his gaze. “No matter what they forced you to do, you are not, and never were a monster.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.”

\---

Hollow slung his bag under the table as he took a seat at the cantina. It was lighter as he had left over half the usual contents at the base on Hoth. He had added a few non-lethal variants of his favorite tools with Zim’s smiling approval, but it still felt odd. 

He carefully avoided looking at Zim more than anyone else as he scanned the crowded room. He had tried to convince him to stay at the ship, but his lover had refused. A separate table was the only compromise he would go for. 

The thin data chip on the table was covered in barbs and hooks. It was almost incredible something so small, nearly transparent was so dangerous. Not for what it was, but for who it would attract. It hadn’t been hard to set it to broadcast mode, it had never been implanted in anyone. Attuning it to an individual required the person’s biometrics. As it sat there, it would be simply attracting attention, hopefully the right attention.

The hair stood up on the back of his neck as he saw the lean Cathar walk through the door. The man had a few more scars than the last time they had spoken, and one of his hands had several dark metal fingers grafted on. That hand slammed down on top of the beacon, smashing it as Lethe took a seat.

“You have nerve.” The lazy drawl was the same as he remembered. “Whatever it is, make it quick. I’m not sure who else noticed that.”

“I want the scrolls of the lost.” Hollow gave Lethe an emotionless stare.

“Why would you even... I don’t want to know.” The man scratched his head giving Hollow a considering look. “You do have something I want.” 

Hollow raised an eyebrow as he looked into Lethe’s angry gaze. “What?” 

“Banshee made the blacklist. Grew a conscience, left. Brass claims to have lost her tracking codes, but as I recall, you sliced them. You give me her codes, I give you what you want.”

Time seemed to slow as thoughts flicked through his head. Banshee killing mercilessly. Banshee using the keywords to force the others to do her will. Her cruel smile, the way she had raped him. He could give them the codes and know she would be dead within the day. But.. she had been like him. What made the monster?

Hollow pulled out the Rakata artifact and turned the implant on the table into dust. “I don’t have them anymore. Sorry. You can however have this. Take it or leave it.”

Lethe’s eyes narrowed as he considered the offer. Hollow tensed as he reached into his long coat. “Deal. By the way, don’t do something stupid like this again Hollow. I don’t want to have to kill you. Not many of the old crew left.” Dropping a flat pouch on the table, he scooped up the artifact and walked toward the door.

“See you around Lethe.”

As they had agreed upon, Hollow finished his meal, sipping a drink slowly for a good hour before Zim made his way over to the table. “You were incredible.”

“I just had something he wanted.” Hollow shrugged.

“You of all people are forgetting.” Zim tapped the cybernetics on his ear. “Who is Banshee, is she someone fighting against them, like you?” 

“She wasn’t, but maybe she deserves the chance to be.” Pulling Zim in for a kiss, he sighed, hoping he hadn’t just made a big mistake.

\---

Hollow took a sip of his ale, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Zim was seated on the one battered, overstuffed couch in his apartment in Kass city, sorting through the pile of data sticks, each with a serial number and a skeletal hand on the metal case. 

“I never thought there would be so many.” Zim studied one of them, trying to make sense of the engraving.

“I can help a bit there.” Handing Zim a second ale, he nudged through the pile with a metal finger, picking out several, “Whisper, Echo, Ghast... and Hollow.”

Zim’s expressive face was almost expressionless as he turned the last stick in his fingers. “Are you sure?”

“No, but you seem to have faith in me, so I’ll take the risk. I might not remember even with the triggers, brainwashing is a funny thing.” Hollow cautioned him, running his fingers down Zim’s neck.

Zim stood and pulled him into his arms. “No matter what, I know you will be the same person.”

Hollow felt a smile curl his lips. “Well, as my friend Raed used to say. Let's go ahead and rip the bandage off.” He sat down on the couch, pulling Zim into his lap.

Inserting the data stick in the holoterminal, the screen flickered before a young-looking Lethe appeared. “Subject 102800, assigned codename Hollow. Previous identification Kaiden Organa. Republic military, Havoc Squad. Demolitions and Sabotage speciality. Extra budget approved for conversion on form 81826-7. Republic records obtained and attached. Familial records obtained and attached. Castellan restraints applied. Asset activated.”

Images and data rolled across the screen. It was strange seeing his face without the implants, without the scars, really young. Names, brothers, sisters, the family estate. A couple of medals. The scenes tugged at his mind, but no memories surfaced. The final image was of him in uniform. Something flashed inside of his mind. He could almost hear himself speaking. “C'mon Jorgan, lighten up. There’s a reason we get the hard jobs.”

“Kaiden?”

“I guess so.” Hollow shrugged.

Zim rested his forehead against him, staring into his eyes. “Are you alright?”

“I’m glad I was just a soldier.” Hugging Zim, he smiled.

“An elite Republic soldier, but I did know you were special.” Their lips met gently.

“I guess the job is over now.” Staring at the pile of memories, Hollow’s arms tightened around his lover. “I don’t know how to say this, so I will have to be blunt. I really don’t want to lose you.”

Zim smiled and traced his fingers down Hollow’s back. “Why do you think you would lose me?”

“I’m not saying this well. Look, I know we haven't known each other long, and I know you said you are close to other people, but I don’t want to go back to waking up in bed without your smile. It hurts to think about spending my days without you. Can I be something to you?”

“You already are.” Zim’s arms locked around his neck. “I feel the same way.”

Hollow felt relief spill through him as he nuzzled into his neck. Kissing Zim with all the love he couldn't deny anymore, he pulled his beloved down onto the couch.  
\---


End file.
